We are delighted with the rising enthusiasm around the National Tree Fair 2026 - certainly one of the more encouraging developments in Dhaka’s urban landscape.
That thousands of visitors are flocking to buy plants suited for rooftops and balconies is signaling how urban residents want to live. In a city increasingly defined by concrete, congestion, and pollution, this growing interest in rooftop and balcony gardening is a welcome and necessary alternative.
This is precisely the kind of public engagement our country needs, one rooted in environmental sustainability and greening. Such behaviour from our urban population also aligns with the present government’s broader tree‑plantation campaign.
While tree planting is not a panacea, that we have a government that actively recognizes the need to expand forest cover is certainly positive.
Urban gardening complements that national effort. Rooftop and balcony gardens play their part in reducing heat and improving air quality. And while they are no alternative to having more green spaces, they are still some respite to the unplanned development our capital has become synonymous with.
It is wrong to suggest that this is a nation that does not recognize the importance of greenery. Bangladesh thus needs more of such initiatives, not just once a year at a fair, but as a sustained, city‑wide push to bring nature back into urban life.
When people are given the opportunity, they choose to green, be it their homes, rooftops, or neighbourhoods. We need the authorities to recognize the importance of green spaces, and work with residents to ensure more of them.
